Mass spectrometer particle counter
AssigneeAgere Systems Inc.
InventorsErik Cho Houge, John Martin McIntosh, Fred Anthony Stevie, Steven Barry Valle, Catherine Vartuli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a device for testing particles for composition and concentration. The device includes a particle counter, a collector screen, and a mass spectrometer. In one embodiment, the collector screen is positioned to receive particles received by the particle counter, and the mass spectrometer is positioned to receive counted particles retained on the collector screen.
Claims21
A device for testing particles for composition and concentration, comprising:
- a particle counter,
- a collector screen, said collector screen being positioned for retaining particles received by said particle counter, and
- a mass spectrometer positioned to receive counted particles retained on said collector screen.
A device for testing particles for composition and concentration, comprising:
- a particle counter,
- a collector screen positioned to receive particles from said particle counter and transfer retained counted particles to a mass spectrometer, and
- a mass spectrometer positioned to receive counted particles retained on said collector screen.
A method for counting and analyzing particles, comprising the steps of:
- delivering a volume of air to a particle counter, said volume of air containing particles to be counted and analyzed,
- delivering counted particles to a collector screen, and
- transferring counted particles from said collector screen to a mass spectrometer.
A device for testing particles for composition and concentration, comprising:
- a particle counter having a laser source for directing a laser beam at particles within said particle counter,
- a collector screen positioned to receive particles from said particle counter,
- a transfer member, and
- a mass spectrometer,
- said transfer member being operational to move said collector screen from a first position oriented to receive particles from said particle counter, to a second position oriented to be within a vacuum field of said mass spectrometer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.